Gluten Free Foods: How to Pay Less for Them – 5 Tips
A common concern about gluten free diets is that gluten free foods can be costly compared to foods made with gluten grains.
The good news is that this doesn’t have to be the case if you follow one or more of the following 5 tips:
Tip #1 Choose Whole and Minimally Processed Gluten Free Foods
Choosing minimally processed/whole gluten free foods instead of highly processed gluten free foods can save you money.
Whole and minimally processed gluten free foods include fresh/frozen minimally processed meat, seafood, eggs, dairy, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fats, gluten free grains.
Your diet will probably be much healthier as a result. Why? Minimally processed foods don’t contain questionable or unhealthy additives, including gluten (gluten is used as a filler in many packaged and processed foods).
See Gluten Free Foods List: Keep This One On Hand
Learn about a healthy whole food diet here: Hunter-Gatherer Diet
Tip #2 Make Gluten Free Meals and Baked Goods from Scratch
Gluten free packaged dinners and baked goods are usually far more expensive than standard gluten based products. By making your own gluten free meals and baked goods, you can save money.
Tip #3 Buy Gluten Free Foods in Bulk
Cost savings can be high if you purchase staple gluten free ingredients, like gluten free grains, in bulk from either a reliable online vendor or your local store. Don’t be shy to ask store owners and managers for a discount if you are unsure if they offer one.
CAUTION: be careful when buying food from bulk bins, unless the store is devoted to gluten free foods and can assure you that there is no cross contamination with gluten foods
Read about a good online resource for gluten free foods here: Gluten Free Stores
Tip: #4 Grind Your Own Gluten Free Flour
Gluten free flours (rice, corn, sorghum, millet, buckwheat, quinoa, teff, amaranth, nut flours, bean flours, etc.) can sometimes be costly. If you invest in a good grain mill and buy gluten free grains in bulk online, or off, you can easily grind your own fresh gluten free flour as needed. Over the course of a few months, the savings can be tremendous.
Learn more about the best grain mills here: Gluten Free Grain Mills
Tip: #5 Apply for a Subsidy (if Available in Your Country)
If you have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease find out if your country offers a subsidy for gluten free foods. For example, at the time of this writing Canadians with Celiac Disease are entitled to claim the incremental costs associated with the purchase of gluten-free products as a medical expense.
If you are a Canadian who might qualify, find out more about this here